


The Wedding

by itslikeorange



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Denial, Eric Cartman Being Eric Cartman, F/M, M/M, One Shot, POV Stan, Pining, Poor Tweek!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26509924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itslikeorange/pseuds/itslikeorange
Summary: "Almost 3 years. It’s been almost 3 years since I’ve seen him. My best friend.Or he was… before I fucked it all up."A mutual friend's wedding gives Stan a chance to reconnect with the one that got away.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Red (Mention), Kyle Broflovski/Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh (Past), Stan Marsh/Wendy Testaburger
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> This was the first ever fanfiction I wrote years ago and in a fit of sentimentality, I've decided to post rather than it languishing away on my computer. The idea of Stan seeing Kyle again was the plot bunny that led to my 'I should have never gone to holiday camp' fic and this was obviously before I discovered Creek ;)

Almost 3 years. It’s been almost 3 years since I’ve seen him. My best friend.

Or he was… before I fucked it all up.

It’s funny, I know I made the right choice at the time. Kyle might have been my closest friend but Wendy was the love of my life. I couldn’t just throw that all away for one make out session.

It was hard though, telling him I’d chosen her over him. I was expecting anger and screaming, but he just nodded and gave me this resigned little smile as if he hadn’t expected anything else. I don’t know why but that made it worse, I would have preferred him yelling at me to this subdued acceptance – restrained emotions just weren’t him.

Still, dramatically rejecting his place at college to stay in South Park more than made up for it. We fought then. I said he was throwing away his big chance for a life outside of our small town, he said he was taking his chance to build a life away from me.

I’m not gonna lie, that hurt. Now, I can admit how selfish I was being. I thought that we’d go off to college; him, me, Kenny and Wendy, and I’d carry on being with her and he’d carry on being my best friend, and everything would be great. But it was shitty of me to ask that of him. I can understand why he said no.

Didn’t stop me from cutting him out of my life though.

And now here we are, unloading our stuff from the car at the hotel in Albuquerque for Craig’s wedding, and the mere mention of his name has my stomach clenching.

I knew they’d be here of course; Kyle is one of the groomsmen. Cartman and Craig inexplicably became friends after high school and no one was more shocked than me that Craig picked him as a best man. I mean, there’s no way I would let Eric-I-don’t-know-the-meaning-of-the-word-understatement-Cartman help plan my wedding, let alone my bachelor party. Though I’m kind’ve sad I missed it in a way. Wendy heard from Red that they ended up getting ejected from the state of Hawaii… something about handcuffs and a mongoose. I didn’t dare asked for specifics, Red was already spitting about having to bail her husband-to-be out of jail. I’ll be surprised if Cartman survives this whole thing with his balls intact.

Speak of the devil.

His truck pulls up across the parking lot and I can hear the yelling from here.

‘ _God Dammit Cartman_ , what the fuck were you thinking?!’

My chest goes tight and butterflies swoop in my stomach. I’d know that shrill shout anywhere.

Kenny is grinning at me and we turn to watch the drama unfold.

‘For Christ’s sake Jew! It’s not a big deal. He’ll be fiiiiiiine.’

Cartman hasn’t changed much. He’s taller; hauling his 6.4 frame out of the truck, but judging by the way he rolls his eyes at the redhead jumping down and slamming the door opposite him, height is the only way in which he’s grown up.

Kyle on the other hand…

I draw in a sharp breath, drinking in the sight of him after so long. His white shirt sleeves are rolled up exposing pale forearms that are slightly bulkier than the last time I saw him, the shirt tails flapping around faded blue jeans that hug his ass as he stalks around the car. His face is screwed up in anger, freckles standing out in stark relief. One hand darts up to shove away errant copper curls that has escaped the confines of the band at the nape of his neck. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in public without a hat. The thought jars me out of my ogling. Just another reminder of how much things have changed.

Suddenly I need to tell him. It doesn’t matter that Wendy is at home stuck at work and that I was meant to call her when I got here. Right here and now, this is more urgent. I need to tell him how much I’ve missed him. How much I regret not giving us a chance.

There I said it. I regret not choosing him. Maybe it would have been awful, maybe it would have been amazing. I’ll never know and that thought is killing me.

Neither Cartman or Kyle have seen us. Too wrapped up in their own disagreement to take notice of anything outside their little bubble – and doesn’t _that_ take me back to when we were kids.

‘ _It’s not a big deal?!_ You drugged him!’ Kyle shouts.

I try to find it in myself to be shocked by this revelation, but to be honest, after all the shit that Cartman has done over the years, this is pretty mild. I don’t know why Kyle bothers. Like now, he’s right up in Cartman’s face. If I were Cartman, I’d be taking a step back. Kyle in a temper is something to behold. Cartman of course, doesn’t budge an inch, he fucking _revels_ in it.

I stamp down a flair of jealousy. Kenny once said they were like magnets; repelling one moment then drawing together the next. I didn’t think much of it at the time because I couldn’t see it - only me and Kyle had that kind of unshakable bond. Now, looking at them, I don’t know how I missed it.

‘Pur-lease, it’s not like you weren’t all wishing he’d just go to sleep. Another 10 minutes and you’d have been begging me to do something.’ Cartman drawls, his voice just this side of outright flirty. ‘Ama right Butters?’ He calls over to the truck and Butters jumps out looking just as cute and whipped as ever, and it’s then I notice the dirty blonde hair of the other occupant currently slumped in the back. He looks weirdly like Kenny, but since Kenny is stood right next to me, I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say the unfortunate victim of Cartman’s ministrations is Tweek.

‘Well… he didn’ seem all that comfortable with Eric’s driving.’ Butters stammers, reluctantly joining the debate. ‘When we braked for that van he jumped so hard he almost punched me in the face.’

Yup, definitely Tweek.

‘Are you seriously agreeing with him Butters? You can’t just drug people without their consent!’ Kyle argues hotly.

‘Gee Kyle, all I was sayin’ is that maybe it was better is all. For Tweek… and everyone.’

‘Yeh Kyle, your face was nearly as red as your Jew-fro when he started reciting traffic collision stats.’ Cartman informs him smugly.

‘That’s not the point,’ Kyle splutters, flushing red yet again to Cartman’s obvious delight. ‘This is Tweek, founder and president of caffeine addict’s anonymous. It’s like giving a tranquilizer to a crackhead on speed!’

‘He’ll be fine. Trust me, couple of cups of coffee and he’ll be back to his twitching self in no time.’ Cartman dismisses as Kyle stomps round to where Tweek is slouched, opening the door to drag him out.

‘Whu?’ Tweek mutters, limbs flailing wildly. Kyle manages to get an arm round his waist and hauls him to his feet, almost buckling under Tweek’s limp form. Cartman makes no move to help; he just stands there trying not to laugh and failing by the look Kyle levels at him.

‘You’d better hope he’ll be fine.’ Kyle says, his glare morphing into something infinitely sweeter and helluva more dangerous. ‘I’m gonna check him into my room and stay with him until he wakes up.’

‘Oh come on Kyle!’ Cartman throws his arms up in exasperation. Kyle just smiles at him in that same butter wouldn’t melt way as he tows Tweek off towards the check in desk, Cartman following doggedly on his heels.

‘But where am I gonna sleep?’ Cartman’s whine is audible from here. My eyebrows shoot up, I must say I wasn’t expecting them to be sharing a room.

‘Well Cartman, it’s like this. Until Tweek gets out of my bed, _you_ aren’t getting in it.’ Kyle smirks, punctuating his words by turning and stalking off with as much dignity as one can muster while half dragging an unconscious blonde.

My stomach drops and I don’t even register Kenny’s wolf whistle beside me over the roaring in my ears.

‘But babe!-’

The slam of the door behind them as they finally enter the hotel mercifully cuts off Cartman’s response.

No. That’s just… how can that be _possible_? They _hate_ each other. A little voice intrudes inserting a damning ‘ _used_ to’. It’s not like I’ve been around to know. I don’t know Kyle anymore…

But still… Cartman?!

‘Let it go, dude.’ Kenny says, his smile dying at the look on my face.

‘But…’ I start to protest and he shakes his head.

‘No Stan. I know seeing him must be hard but he’s moved on. Actually scratch that, he’s moved forward. Him and Cartman were always inevitable, you have to realise that.’ Kenny’s eyes are as serious as I’ve ever seen them and it gives me pause before conviction sets in. Kenny is _wrong_. He doesn’t know how deep mine and Kyle’s connection was, we did _everything_ together. Some shallow hate sex can’t compare to that.

I go to tell him as much but we’re distracted by Butter’s waving arms across the parking lot.

‘Hi Fellas! Could ya give me a hand with the bags?’ Butters is standing next to Cartman’s truck with 4 bags at his feet and a hopeful expression, puppy dog eyes dialled up to eleven.

‘Let it go.’ Kenny says again firmly, giving me a meaningful look before jogging over to Butters.

I grit my teeth, taking a moment to collect myself before joining them.

‘Gee, why the long face?’ Butters chirps. ‘We’re at a wedding!’

‘He didn’t know about Cartman and Kyle.’ Kenny answers while I’m too busy holding back a biting retort.

‘Aw, you’re not going to do anything silly are you, Stan?’ Butters looks up at me in that earnest wide eyed way of his.

‘It’s none of your business, Butters.’ I dismiss because it really isn’t. But to my surprise he presses on.

‘Well Eric is my friend so I’d say it is if you’re going to make him unhappy. He loves Kyle a whole lot and I would hate for anything to ruin things for him.’ He says sincerely.

‘Love?! Cartman?’ The thought’s so absurd that I can’t quite comprehend Butters frown, like he wasn’t actually making a joke.

‘Stan won’t ruin anything Butters.’ Kenny says matter of factly and I turn to him, grateful for the support at last when he shrugs and continues wryly, ‘I love you dude, but better men and monsters than you have tried to come between them and failed.’

‘Kyle deserves to be happy.’ I argue.

‘Kyle _is_ happy, dude.’

I snort. ‘He didn’t look happy earlier.’

‘Nah, that was just foreplay.’ Kenny winks and I stare at him incredulously as he picks up a bag and walks off to check in.

I huff and grab a bag at random, and of course it’s Cartman’s. God damn thing weighs a tonne. I grit my teeth at being reduced to bell boy for that fat fuck.

I almost dump the thing when I realise that I’ll have to haul it all the way to his room… the room he’s currently sharing with Kyle.

Where Kyle is currently alone, bar an unconscious Tweek…

This could be my chance. My chance to talk to him. To apologise. To let him know how I feel. To convince him to give me, _us_ , another chance.

If there’s one thing I remember right, it’s how stubborn Kyle is. There’s no way Cartman will be staying in his room tonight.

Not if I have anything to do with it anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> In my head, Stan is gently but firmly put straight by Kyle but it can go however you want if that's not your bag ;) I've never actually planned to expand on this, hence the one shot status.  
> Hope you enjoyed anyway!


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